Project information
Doctoral student
Annette Eilert
Supervisor
Johanna Witzell
Assistant supervisor
Johan Fransson
Participating organizations
Linnaeus University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the Forestry Research Institute of Sweden (Skogforsk)
Financiers
Linnaeus University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the Forestry Research Institute of Sweden (Skogforsk), Södra skogsägarnas stiftelse för forskning, utveckling och utbildning, Stiftelsen Skogssällskapet, Sveaskog Förvaltnings AB, Stiftelsen Seydlitz MP bolagen, Holmen Skog AB, Vida AB, Prästlönetillgångarna i Växjö stift, Häradsmarken AB, Linköpings stifts prästlönetillgångar, Prästlönetillgångarna i Skara stift, Göteborgs stifts prästlönetillgångar, Västra Sveriges Skogsvårdsförbund, Lunds stifts prästlönetillgångar
Timetable
2023–2026
Subject
Forestry and wood technology (Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, Faculty of Technology)
More about the project
A doctoral project at the Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, Faculty of Technology, at Linnaeus University in Växjö, Sweden, commenced in November 2023. The goal is to utilise digital tools to develop new scientific knowledge and create solutions for the early detection of reduced vitality and increased risk of forest damage in Swedish pine forests.
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is the second most common forest tree species in Sweden. Although generally robust and tolerant, Scots pine seedlings and young trees are sensitive to biotic and abiotic stress. This may jeopardise regeneration as heat waves, drought, and new pests and diseases are expected to become more common in future climates.
The project focuses on understanding early physiological and spectral signals in pine and evaluating which signals indicate increased risk of damage. Various sensors will detect early stress-induced changes in the physiology and metabolism of the pines. Multi- and hyperspectral sensors, mounted on drones or portable devices, will be used in both field experiments and controlled greenhouse studies.
This project is part of the research program entitled Future Forest Management in Southern Sweden (FRAS II), organised in collaboration between Skogforsk (the Forestry Research Institute of Sweden), the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and Linnaeus University.